Fight Me
by Celesti Rivers
Summary: With more and more attacks from Slytherin students, Emmeline resolves to teach the muggle-borns of Gryffindor some self-defence. Lily and Mary are very skeptical that she knows what she's talking about, so Emmeline will just have to demonstrate her skill. Also known as: in which a fifth year Emmeline Vance knocks the air out of a sixth year Sirius Black.


**Speed drabbles are lots and lots of fun. My prompts were "break" (word), "move" (word), and "Would you excuse me?" (dialogue). Also submitting this for the 4th Open Category Competition on HPFC :)**

* * *

Something was going to break. Lily felt it in her bones. Predicting trouble had become her sixth sense.

"Lils?"

Mary and Emmeline were giving her worried glances, which made Lily realize that she had stopped in the middle of the hallway. Mary looked more irritated than worried. Her fellow sixth year had experienced Lily's "feelings" one time too many. Emmeline, though, looked genuinely worried. She was a year below them, and had only just gotten to know the girls. She had yet to discover that the crazy thoughts in Lily's head were just that - raving mad.

"Someone's causing trouble," Lily muttered with a grimace as she caught up with Mary and Emmeline.

"Okay, Superman," Mary agreed mockingly.

"Is she kidding?" Emmeline whispered to Mary.

"Honestly, Em? I have no idea," Mary whispered back.

It wasn't very good whispering, though. "I can hear you," Lily declared with a roll of her eyes.

"Hey, if one of your 'Trouble Visions' ever reveal anything about the Slytherins, do give me a warning. Repeating history is not a pastime of mine," Mary said. "Otherwise, consider me uninterested."

"You know, we should get into the habit of learning some self-defence," Emmeline commented. "I mean, we've been pretty lucky so far. Those crazy Marauders keep popping up whenever a Slytherin is nearby - which is sketchy enough, in my opinion - but we can't rely on coincidences."

"What are you suggesting, Em? Karate?" Lily teased. She turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady and added, "Flobberworm."

"I beg your - ! Oh. Right." With a sheepish smile, the Fat Lady swung open her portrait and the three witches entered the Gryffindor common room.

"No, not Karate," Emmeline corrected. "Boxing."

Mary raised her eyebrows and patted her on the shoulder. "That's sweet, Em. Who's going to teach us?"

"Me," Emmeline said with a small frown. Noticing the strange looks she was receiving from Lily and Mary, she rolled her eyes and added, "My dad does underground boxing, and I have an older brother. I have a move or two up my sleeve."

"And people think muggle-borns are useless," Mary said with a faux scoff. "Prove it, Em."

"What are we proving?"

The three witches turned around at the unmistakable sound of Sirius Black. Sure enough, he was standing right behind them with a curious smirk on his face, James right next to him.

A very good idea suddenly came to Emmeline. "Would you excuse me?" she muttered to Lily and Mary before turning to Sirius and James. "Sirius, do you think yourself a good fighter?" she asked with a sweet smile.

Sirius frowned. "Yes..." he answered slowly. "Why?"

Emmeline shrugged and took a step back. "Fight me."

"I am _not_ fighting a girl," Sirius declared.

"Aw, come on, Black, what are you scared of?" Mary taunted. "Are you _that_ sure she's gonna kick your arse?"

"I knew someone was going to cause trouble," Lily muttered.

"You're younger than me! I'm not doing it," Sirius said firmly.

"Oh, please - do your worst," Emmeline replied. She turned to James. "What about you, Potter? Do you have more balls than Black?"

"Sorry, but fighting a girl is strictly anti-Gryffindor," James declared. "Not doing it."

Emmeline sighed heavily. "Fine. Just... come up to me and try to put your hands on my shoulders. Simple enough, and no fighting involved."

James and Sirius looked at each other warily, then Sirius shrugged and walked up to Emmeline. As he got closer, he stretched his arms out, palms open...

Everything happened very quickly. Sirius's hands were almost on Emmeline's shoulders when, in one swift move, she ducked and barrelled her shoulder towards Sirius's abdomen. He stumbled back with a groan, hitting a table behind him and causing the lamp on it to fall and shatter.

"Bloody hell, Em!" Sirius exclaimed. "Remind me to never get on your bad side."

"I _knew_ something was going to break!" Lily shouted. She turned to Mary. "Not so crazy now, am I?"

Mary rolled her eyes and turned to Emmeline with an impressed smile. "We should have befriended you _much_ sooner."

* * *

 **I don't even know where this came from so - erm - there. Yeah.**


End file.
